10 Bangkok Rallies That Almost Toppled the Government

A temporary truce between anti-government protesters and government forces in Thailand has somewhat eased the political tension in the country. More than 100,000 protesters have stormed the streets of Bangkok in the past two weeks demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. But the political crisis is far from over. The demonstrations have stopped, but only made in deference to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is celebrating his birthday on December 5. One way to analyze how the current crisis will unfold, is to review how various political forces reacted in the past when similar provocative rallies shook the nation, between 2008 and 2010. These rallies didn’t directly cause the removal of the elected government, but they immensely contributed in eroding the legitimacy of the national leadership.